Cow mastitis is a disease of the udder caused by infections caused by physical impact or bacterial invasion. It is the most common udder disease in dairy cattle worldwide. This disease is one of the main causes of economic loss in dairy farms.
Causes
Many microorganisms can cause mastitis. For example, viruses, mycoplasma, fungi and bacteria are among the known causes. Therefore, milking parlor hygiene is the main way to prevent this disease. In addition, physical injury to the udder area and chemical skin sensitization are also known to cause mastitis.
Symptoms of Mastitis?
The most recognisable sign of clinical mastitis is a slightly swollen udder that is extremely hot and red to the touch. In severe cases, the cow's body temperature will rise and the milk produced will have a watery appearance and may contain flakes, clots, pus or blood. In the later stages there is a decrease in the daily milk quantity, lack of appetite, sunken eyes, immobility, diarrhoea and dehydration.
In contrast, subclinical mastitis is not immediately apparent and may result in few symptoms other than a higher than normal somatic cell count.
How to Treat a Cow with Mastitis?
The first thing to do after diagnosis of mastitis is to apply ice cubes to the surface of the udder. Milk with high somatic cell counts from the infected udder should be expressed three times a day.
During collective milking, healthy cows should be milked first and then infected cows should be milked by taking certain hygiene measures. The equipment used after milking must be sterilized.
The affected and unresponsive area should be permanently dried. Calves should be prevented from sucking the infected teat. The veterinarian should be consulted as soon as possible and antibiotic treatment should be started immediately.
So, What Can I Do to Control Mastitis?
As dangerous as mastitis may seem, it can be easily treated with early detection. If you want to detect mastitis early and take precautions, we will recommend you a wonderful device: MastiPro. This small device is attached to the milking system and automatically activates every milking. It also sends a notification to your cell phone when mastitis is detected or suspected. Click here for detailed information about MastiPro.
